A Zionsville man is behind bars after Upper Perk Police said he and a juvenile accomplice sold heroin out of an Upper Hanover parking lot.

Derrick Knepp, 23, of Zionsville, formerly of the 900 block of Main Street, Pennsburg, was charged Saturday with two counts of possession with intent to distribute, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, two counts of corruption of minors and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was video arraigned by Judge Catherine McGill of Oreland District Court, who set bail at $5,000 cash. Knepp was remanded to Montgomery County Prison.

His juvenile accomplice, from East Greenville, was reportedly petitioned to the Montgomery County Juvenile Detention Center on charges of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to a press release from Upper Perk Police, in July and August police and the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Drug Task Force authorities received information that Knepp and a juvenile male were selling heroin throughout the Upper Perkiomen Valley.

Through an investigation, police said they determined Knepp and the juvenile were also responsible for stealing two flatscreen TVs and a large amount of baby formula from Walmart in Upper Hanover Township. Police said the pair also stole a substantial amount of baby formula from Weis market in Upper Gwynedd Township.

Authorities later recovered one of the TVs and a portion of the baby formula from Knepp’s home.

Knepp and his accomplice were arrested last Thursday after authorities said they saw the pair conducting a heroin transaction outside the Upper Hanover Walmart.

Upper Perk Police said Pennsylvania State Police and Upper Gwynedd Township Police are expected to file theft charges against Knepp and the juvenile in the coming weeks.

Knepp was sentenced back in June to 12 months’ probation in connection with the theft of an American flag from a Pennsburg home in November 2012. According to court documents on that case, Upper Perk Police were called to the 500 block of Main Street for an intoxicated man who stole a flag and pole from a porch at the location.

Upper Perk Police, at the time, said Knepp was found waving the flag over his head and later hitting a street sign with it. Charges of public mutilation of a flag, maliciously taking down a flag, criminal trespass, loitering and prowling at night and related offenses were dropped as part of a plea agreement in which Knepp plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of theft.

According to court records, Knepp also pleaded guilty to retail theft and possession of drug paraphernalia in May in Richland Township. He was sentenced to 18 months’ probation in that case.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled on the latest charges Sept. 4 at 1:45 p.m. in Red Hill District Court.

Serving the municipalities of Bally, East Greenville, Green Lane, Hereford, Lower Salford, Marlborough, Milford, New Hanover, Pennsburg, Red Hill, Trumbauersville, Upper Hanover, Upper Salford
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